Only 121,000
new jobs opened up in June. The latest ad volume readings
suggest that job growth late this summer and going into the fall
may be just as slow.

Help-Wanted advertising in major
newspapers across America was unchanged in June. This according
to the
Conference Board Help Wanted Index. The Index now stands at
33. It was 39 one year ago. The Conference Board surveys
help-wanted print advertising volume in 51 major newspapers
across the country every month. Because ad volume has proven to
be sensitive to labor market conditions, this measure provides a
gauge of change in the local, regional and national supply of
jobs.

In the last three months, help-wanted advertising declined in
all nine regions of the U.S. Steepest declines occurred in the
West North Central (-16.8%), Middle Atlantic (-15.3%) and the
Pacific (-13.3%) regions.

Says Ken Goldstein, labor economist at The Conference Board:
"The latest data shows that classified job advertising in
newspapers held steady in June while the rise in ad volume
online continued to slow. These readings had signaled a cooling
off in labor demand as early as this past winter. Only 121,000
new jobs opened up in June. The latest ad volume readings
suggest that job growth late this summer and going into the fall
may be just as slow. Consumers are bracing for just such a
development, as indicated in our consumer confidence survey. CEO
confidence surveys show that the average executive is no more
bullish about the economy in general and the labor market in
particular than is the average consumer."

Help-Wanted Online Ads Increase in June

New unduplicated online job ads increased in June to 2,436,300,
according to The Conference Board Help-Wanted OnLine Data
Series™. The June level was 81,800, or 3 percent above the
previous month and followed an increase of 4 percent in May.

June 06

May 06

Apr. 06

June 05

National
Index

33

33

35

39

Proportion
of Labor Markets
With Rising Want-Ad Volume

49%

27%

41%

53%

Unemployment
Rate

4.6%

4.6%

4.7%

5.0%

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